The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

14th April 2020

Whilst everyone is hunkering down at home, many of us will be using the time to bake delicious cakes as a teatime treat for the house; but don’t worry if you can’t source all the ingredients for your favourite recipes, here are some store cupboard tricks to help you to adapt.

The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

14th April 2020

The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

14th April 2020

There’s a bit of an element of experimentation, but here are a few alternatives if you need them.

EGGS

Replace one egg with any of these other ingredients:

3 tbsp mayonnaise

3 tbsp golden flaxseed soaked in 3 tbsp cold
1 mashed ripe banana with ¼ tsp baking powder

water

CHOCOLATE

Replace 25g chocolate with 3 tbsp cocoa powder and 1 tbsp softened butter

BUTTER

Try using pureed cooked apple, mashed banana or pureed prunes. For best results, use an equal volume of the substitute i.e. replace ½ cup butter with ½ cup apple puree etc.

BUTTERMILK

A mixture of milk and lemon juice works well. Roughly 1 tbsp lemon juice for every 150ml milk, leave to stand for 5 minutes before using.

SELF-RAISING FLOUR

Mix 1tsp baking powder in to 100g plain flour.

SMALLER BAKES

And if you’re now baking for a smaller number of people, using a smaller tin and cutting the cooking time accordingly can successfully halve most cake recipes or you could also turn your favourite cake recipe into muffins by using muffin tins and again cutting the cooking time

Here’s a real teatime treat, a scrumptious Bonne Maman Rhubarb Crumble Cake :

For the crumble topping

  • 10g of each plain flour, rolled oats, sunflower seeds, flaked almonds

For the cake

  • 200g unsalted butter
  • 200g light soft brown sugar
  • 330g golden syrup
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 225ml whole milk
  • 330g self-raising flower

For the filling

  • 250g tub mascarpone cheese
  • 2 tbsp ready-made chilled vanilla custard OR extra thick double cream and a few drops of vanilla extract
  • 600g jar Bonne Maman Rhubarb Compote
  • 3 tbsp elderflower cordial
  • icing sugar, to dust

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180C, 160 fan, gas 4. Line the base of a 20cm deep, round cake tin with non-stick baking paper.

  2. First make the crumble topping. Put all the topping ingredients in a small bowl and add 25g of the butter and 25g of the brown sugar. Rub together until crumbly. Spread evenly onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Cool.

  3. Reduce the oven temperature to 140C, 120C fan, gas 1.

  4. Put the remaining butter, brown sugar and the golden syrup in a medium pan and heat gently, stirring, until melted and smooth.

  5. Beat the eggs and milk into the sugar mixture in the pan. Measure the flour into a medium bowl and lowly whisk in the contents of the pan until you have a smooth batter.

  6. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for about 1 hour 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover the top of the cake loosely with foil after 1 hour.

  7. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

  8. Meanwhile make the filling. Beat together the mascarpone cheese with the custard or the cream and vanilla, and chill.



  9. If you’re short of ingredients, you can use any type of flour, seeds and nuts for the crumble topping and if making a smaller version of the cake, halve all of the quantities and when mixed, pop into a deep 18cm sandwich tin or a 500g loaf tin. Bake for about 45mins to 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool and split in half.

Make up half the filling from mascarpone or any soft cheese; even a soft, fresh goat’s cheese would be delicious!

Bonne Maman Apricot Compote can be used as an alternative to Rhubarb or simply use a Bonne Maman conserve such as Fig, Apricot or Plum.

So, as you can’t head out to afternoon tea at your usual café, why not make an occasion of it at home, dress the table with a pretty tablecloth and your finest tea set then relax, eat cake and catch up in the comfort of your own home… Is it teatime yet?

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